Rise of One
RISE OF ONE Episode One, Season Three, of Rise. Enjoy <3 Rise of One I watch as Flameshadow works, renewing Nightshadow’s bandages as well as tending to Karina’s wounds. The she-cat has been unconscious for a week now, and Flameshadow is unsure on what her conditions are. “I suppose a cat could have knocked her out with a hard blow, but I don’t know why she’s not waking up. She’s still breathing, but after awhile, if the blow was meant to kill, Karina shouldn’t still be breathing.” Flameshadow tells me. It isn’t quite as reassuring as I thought it would be, but it is something. “A blow might not be the only thing,” Flameshadow continues, “There could be other factors involved, if we’re talking about the Blood Army. But she was fighting the Vipers, and you tell me that only the Blood Army knows how to make the mixtures?” “That’s what I know of,” I agree. The medicine cat furrows his brow. “I’ll keep an eye on her and try different remedies, but I’m afraid I’m not really sure what to do.” I excuse myself from the den after watching Karina for a moment longer. Feathershine is playing with some of the kits, and Applepaw is moping around in front of the apprentice den, obviously down that she can’t go train now that Nightshadow is recuperating again. I head for her, wanting to take my mind off the recent battle and the mess it’s made of the Coalition and my friends. There have been so many vigils for lost lives, though they’re just names to me. I didn’t know any of the Clan cats personally. “Applepaw?” The apprentice glances up. “Oh hi, Bryce. Is there something you want me to do?” She seems to deflate even more at that idea. “Yeah,” I bob my head up and down, “I want you to help train me.” Applepaw perks up. “Train you? I’m only an apprentice!” “Nine moons old right?” She nods. “You’re darn good for an apprentice who’s only been training for three moons. Come on, I really need to improve my fighting skills if I want to be able to fight during battles. You’re my only hope.” “Why don’t you ask Feathershine?” It is a good question. I could ask Feathershine, as she’s a full grown warrior. But something about her playing with the kits makes me not want to interrupt. “Nightshadow always does my training sessions, and he does yours. You certainly know the style he teaches. Best to stick on schedule, right?” Applepaw gives me a small smile and stands without another word. I’m pretty sure she gets why I’m asking her, but she leads me outside and into a training clearing anyway. “I’ll show you some attacking moves,” Applepaw finally says, turning to face me. And we spent a couple hours doing that, sparring against one another until we’re both exhausted and spent. Applepaw is a good trainer and learner, and I’m glad I asked her to teach me. By the end of the session, I’ve learned five new moves and I’ve burned the unnecessary emotions I had been feeling in the morning. I feel slightly refreshed and definitely tired, not in the mood to ponder over the despair that has clouded the Coalition. “Let’s go home,” I nudge Applepaw up, “Thanks for training me.” “No problem,” Applepaw waves her tail, “thanks for asking me.” She exchanges a small, secretive smile with me and as we head back, I realize that I am glad that I asked Applepaw. She reminds me so much of Ruby and I wish I could figure out where the Vipers are holding Ruby in order to bring her back home. Applepaw would love to meet her. For now, I’m content with letting Applepaw fill in the void Ruby left behind. I’ll find my sister, but for now, I’m still complete. ~ Feathershine is still playing with the kits when I get back and I join her. Jewel and Emerald are there too, tentatively trying to introduce themselves to the other kits. I watch the exchange with quiet interest. “Hey,” Jewel says quietly, her blue eyes glowing. A few of the kits turn around and notice them. They scamper over curiously. “Who are you?” “These are Bryce’s sisters,” Feathershine introduces them, “remember Bryce? She’s been helping the Coalition fight our enemies.” The kits nod along. “I’m Jewel,” Jewel mews, “this is my sister.” “I’m Emerald,” the gray she-cat pipes up. She looks ridiculously small compared to Jewel. “Nice to meet you.” “Nice to meet you too,” the kits chorus back, “did you guys come from the Twolegplace?” Jewel nods but doesn’t say anything. Emerald sticks to Jewel’s side, despite the fact that the two of them had never gotten super close (Emerald always played with Ruby, not Jewel). “That’s so cool!” One of the kits squeals, “What is it like? Is it any different from the forest?” “Lots,” Emerald interjects, before Jewel can reply, “there were stone walls everywhere instead of trees, and trash was everywhere.” “Trash?” A huge brown tom frowns, “What’s trash?” “Waste littered on the ground, unwanted,” Jewel says softly, “it’s what the Twolegs throw out because they no longer want it. Sometimes it’s something unfamiliar, and other times it’s rotten food.” The tom wrinkles his nose. “That’s disgusting.” Jewel shrugs. “It was home.” I feel a pang in my chest. I always knew that my sisters felt out of place here, but I don’t want to go back to the Twolegplace. There’s nothing there for me but death and starvation. “Who cares about that rotten, stinky place,” Emerald cuts in, “this is home now! I love the forest!” Relief overwhelms me, especially when Jewel nods along in agreement. “Do you want to play with us?” The huge brown kit asks, beckoning with his tail, “We kits like to stick together and play. Kind of like a war pact.” “A war pact?” Jewel echoes, but the two follow along anyways. It’s something, if not everything to me that my sisters are assimilating to their new home. I’ve always feared of the war affecting my sisters, especially with the kits’ mindset that they would one day train to face off against the Vipers or the Blood Army until this is over. But then I realize that my sisters are already affected by the war. We’ve been driven out of our home, taken captive by the Vipers, had Ruby taken away from us… It’s time to let them go and let them live their own lives and make their own decisions, I decide. “Hey Bryce,” Feathershine smiles at me. “I saw you take Applepaw out. I think we should keep her busy, because this is the second time her training has been postponed due to Nightshadow’s injuries. I’m thinking about taking her out tomorrow for some more training, but I’m not Nightshadow.” I feel a little guilty for not letting Feathershine just teach us both, but I nod along. “Applepaw would love that. She wants to get out and feel like she’s doing something to help the Clan I guess.” “Her littermates are less affected, which only brings Applepaw down even more. She’s dragged into more of the conflict since she’s Nightshadow’s apprentice but I don’t think she minds that much.” Feathershine explains. “I’ve never really talked to Sunpaw and Firepaw,” I admit. I had seen them around though; it’s hard to miss Applepaw bounding over to her littermates to play or to just talk. I imagine Jewel and Emerald do the same when I’m not around. “Do you ever wonder if we’re doing the right thing?” I suddenly say. Feathershine gives me a curious look. “What do you mean?” I don’t know why, but the urge to ramble spurs me to keep talking. “Well I mean it’s logical for you to fight for the Coalition because you were born in the Clans, but what if we were born as Vipers? Would we feel the same need to fight against the Coalition? There must be innocent cats in the Vipers that we are taking prisoner and killing.” Speaking of prisoners, I hadn’t been down to the prisons since Terran and Karina were in there, and I hadn’t actually seen any other prisoners in there. “We don’t take prisoners,” Feathershine says, answering my unspoken question, “most end up dying on the way or they flee. The Coalition isn’t known for their torture methods. We just want our peace back.” “As for your other question, I don’t know. I mean Terran and Karina ended up switching sides, but that could be more for you than for the Coalition.” “For me?” I frown, “Why would do they switch because of me?” “They rescued you, didn’t they?” Feathershine points out, “Also Terran has a knack for sticking to your side, always trying to keep you safe. He seems like the protective, caring type.” This comment makes me blush. Just thinking about Terran’s kind, sky-blue eyes make me wish I could find him and tell him how much I loved his eyes. I flush even more, embarrassed by the thought. Feathershine doesn’t comment about my beet-red face. “They’ve never talked about it, even after Karina and I began to talk more. I never really discovered whether or not they think the Vipers are evil.” “Do you think the Vipers think we’re evil?” The gray she-cat crouches down, tucking her paws comfortably beneath her. She watches me with her bright green eyes. “I suppose it’s possible,” she tips her head, “I mean we kind of pin them as evil, but like you said, there must be innocent cats such as Terran and Karina.” “I wonder if there were memories they had there,” I stand, “memories worth keeping.” Memories like the ones I still have from the Twolegplace. Memories you don’t want to let go because they’re still a piece of you. Feathershine doesn’t reply because I don’t give her a chance to. I walk past everyone else in the camp and head outside. I scour the territory, wandering with no real goal. I search the Blood Army border and then head for the Viper border. As I sit at the top of the Dip, I remember seeing the massing of the Viper army before running back to the Coalition to prepare for a battle that would cripple Karina and take Terran from me. Where are you? I think, wanting to believe I could call out to the white tom with my mind. Amberstar and Whitestar weren’t so concerned when I told them that Terran was nowhere to be found. They sent a few search patrols but after a day they told me to be patient and wait it out. I wanted to scream back then, to tell them that they didn’t understand that Terran was my friend, a close one too. Someone I could rely on to always be there…until they weren’t. But instead I had just walked out. This is the first time I have stepped out of the house in an attempt to search for him, as I’ve been helping with hunting. Every action I do reminds me painfully that Terran used to do them with me. I have only begun to realize how much I rely on the white tom, and how much I count on that he’ll be there to help me, to support me in my times of need. I stay there for a long time, even going as far as to venture down the Dip right up to the border. After patrolling it several times, I head back up and start to make my way towards camp. “Bryce.” It is a soft whisper, too soft for me to decipher who is speaking. Still, my heartbeat quickens. “Terran?” I whisper softly, turning around. But a she-cat is sitting there, at the edge of the border, watching me with amused eyes. “Terran? Oh no, I’m definitely not him.” I can tell by her scent that she’s a Viper. “Who are you?” I tense up, eyeing her warily. It’s obvious she must have known Terran in his days as a Viper to have spoken of him with such contempt. “I’m Vicky,” she smiles, showing her teeth. “I’ve been waiting to meet you for a very long time.” The End. Category:Fan Fictions Category:Cchen3's Fanfics Category:Rise